On “Pardon the Interruption” yesterday, Tony Kornheiser predicted Binghamton would beat UMBC by six or seven points. He had no idea the Bearcats would shoot 1-for-14 from beyond the arc in the second half.

The Binghamton men’s basketball team struggled from the field and lost its second straight game last night at UMBC 78-74. The Retrievers went on a late 9-2 run and hit seven of 10 free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.

“We didn’t defend how we were capable of,” said BU head coach Al Walker. “They played very well and are tough at home.”

Last night’s contest was also the Bearcats’ fifth consecutive game to be decided in the final minute.

The Bearcats (9-11, 6-3 AE) were down nine with 12:17 to go in the game but came back to take the lead 63-62 on an Ian Milne free throw with 7:13 left in the game. But after giving up the lead, UMBC held Binghamton without a field goal for six straight minutes.

Despite the lapse, the Bearcats still had a chance to win. But with 18 seconds left, Milne missed a potential game-tying three-pointer from the top of the key.

“That’s exactly what we wanted,” said Walker on Milne’s shot attempt. “It was a little deeper than he was capable of, but it was a good shot.”

The Retrievers (8-12, 4-5 AE), who shot 56.7 percent in the first half and 52 percent for the game, had four players in double figures. Senior John Zito led the way with 19 points while sophomore Brian Hodges had 17 points in just 23 minutes.

The game was tied at 43 at halftime, but the Bearcats shot just 10-for-30 from the field in the final 20 minutes.

The Bearcats were led by senior Andre Heard, who had a game-high 21 points, but fouled out with five seconds to go in the game. Sophomore Mike Gordon added 11 points and seven assists while junior Duane James had 10 points off the bench.

The 74 points Binghamton scored were the most this season, which was no surprise considering UMBC was last in the America East in scoring defense. The Bearcats were ranked second in that category, yet had trouble shutting down the Retriever’s offense.

“They played very well today,” Walker said. “It was a really good college basketball game.”